On the northeast side of the Fangcheng Mountain pass is a natural mountain valley with a radius of several miles. Fangcheng Mountain is originally the remnant of Funiu Mountain. The continuous hills extending from the west have become dozens of small hills, high and low, in this area.
Hill. And this mountainous area is the only relatively gentle place among the mountains.
When the official road was built in the Zhou Dynasty, the official road leading to the southwest avoided directly passing through the high mountains of Funiu Mountain, but it also had to connect Tangzhou, Dengzhou and other state capitals, so it was inevitable to pass through here. Therefore,
The official road chose this terrain, which although rugged, is not too difficult to open up. The pass of Fangcheng Mountain is not too steep, and the slope is very gentle. After passing the pass of Fangcheng Mountain, the terrain becomes flat again. The official road can be smooth.
It detours from the east of Funiu Mountain and leads to various state capitals and counties in the southwest.
The reason why the official road under this pass is gentle is not entirely due to natural reasons. When the official road was built, it was considered that the horses and carriages walking on the official road would be exhausted after traveling through this rugged and winding official road.
We were faced with a pass to climb ahead. So the officials in charge of the construction specially did some artificial rest and preparation work in the mountain depression under the mountain pass. The soil and stones used to open the mountain road were transported here nearby, and some of the rainwater in the mountain depression here was transported.
The ditch and small canyon were filled in. Later, a post station was built here, which was considered whether one could reach here by crossing the pass from Fangcheng County, which is more than fifty miles away in the southwest, or walking sixty miles from Ye County in the northeast.
The pedestrians who arrived at the bottom of the pass on Liguan Road must have been extremely tired and exhausted. This post station is a place where they can rest.
With the establishment of the official carriage and horse station, merchants built hotels here. Crowds gathered in crowded places, and soon there was a prototype of a small town. In time, this place will become more and more popular due to its unique geography.
There was no way it could become a prosperous town through its advantages. Unfortunately, it all came to an abrupt end.
In the early days of the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, small countries were still standing in various places. The founding ancestors of the Great Zhou Dynasty conquered several surrounding small countries at an extremely fast speed and annexed and unified their territories. The reason why this official road to the west was built was to allow people to
Bianliang's army went west to attack. The target was the Hou Shu Kingdom at that time. In less than a few years, the Great Zhou Dynasty destroyed the Hou Shu Kingdom. The remaining members of the Hou Shu Kingdom and the royal family broke out from Shu and hid in the Funiu Mountains as bandits.
Although for the Great Zhou Dynasty, it was a great thing to destroy another country, but for the areas around Funiu Mountain, it was a nightmare.
Villages in Funiu Mountain are booming. There are still people who dare to pass through Funiu Mountain within a radius of dozens of miles, let alone the large officially established post station and the embryonic town at the pass. In a few months, the mountains have been destroyed.
Bandits visited the village several times, and the people fled to death, stifling the vigorous development here.
After a hundred years, the post stations and houses under the mountain pass have become ruins. The place is overgrown with grass and trees, and it has become a veritable wilderness. This is why there is this area of three or four square meters between the mountains.
The reason why there are mountains and flatlands here is actually the former site of a large inn and a booming town.
The Jurchen army arrived at this mountainous area at dark. The soldiers quickly set up camp and set up simple camps here. In fact, they were not the first army to camp here. Over the past hundred years, the Zhou Dynasty had sent troops countless times.
During the siege and suppression of the Funiu Mountain villages, they always camped and rested here. The last time a large-scale army and horses were camped here dates back to the siege and suppression of Funiu Mountain after Guo Xu seized the throne. At that time, there were hundreds of thousands of forbidden troops and horses.
The infantry, including the heavy troops and horses, temporarily camped and rested here.
While the army was busy setting up camp, Yalu Buhua stood on a piece of earth and looked at the pass in the distance and the hillsides on both sides. Although the sky was dim, he could still see roughly the situation on the hillside and at the pass. Two
The side slopes were covered with grass and bushes, and it was quiet. It was also quiet above the pass. The gentle hillside extended to the top of the pass. It is difficult to see the overall situation clearly from the position below. However, there were birds flying up and down on the slopes and at the pass.
It shows that there won't be anything strange there.
Yalu Buhua was relieved. What Lu Zixing said before made him somewhat wary, so he would observe it personally. He didn't even send anyone to the hillside and the pass to observe on the spot, because the sky was already dark.
In the evening, the mountain road was rugged and the soldiers were very tired. Yarubuhua really didn’t want to do anything unnecessary. Anyway, the camp was located a few miles away from the pass and the hillside. At night, there would be soldiers on guard at nearby high places, and there were also hidden sentries around the camp.
, in fact, there is no need to worry at all.
More importantly, Yalu Buhua believed in his own judgment. At this time, even if the Luoyan Army in the Funiu Mountain Village knew that his army had arrived, they should huddle in the village and tremble. Abandon the troops in Funiu Mountain.
If the fortifications come out to cause trouble? Isn't that asking for death? This is the most basic common sense. If the opponent does not even understand this most basic common sense, then there will be no challenge in this battle and he will win. That is too much
It's boring.
Of course Yalu Buhua didn't know, all he saw was the calmness on the outside.
At the pass and on the hillside, after some operations last night and this morning, simple fortifications have been built and a lot of arrangements have been made. Just to prevent the other party's scouts from detecting, Gao Muqing issued an order from noon
, all the soldiers and horses were dormant and camouflaged, leaving no trace at all.
Therefore, what Yalu Buhua saw was all an illusion. What he saw on a hillside covered with dwarf trees and grass was actually a large number of Luoyan Army soldiers lurking. Those dwarf trees were cut down and erected on the hillside as camouflage.
The front slope facing north is actually a rocky slope with a lot of grass, but there are no large bushes. This was specially cut and transported from the valley behind the mountain in the morning as a camouflage.
As for the location of the pass, there was indeed no one. Everyone stayed at the back of the pass, keeping silent and waiting in place. Of course, there were many temporary fortifications built on the pass, but they all looked like mounds of mud and rocks. Use
The grass and trees are camouflaged, and there are no clues at all from a distance. As long as there are no traces of people, there will be basically no flaws. Moreover, in order to confuse the Jurchens, Gao Muqing also used several scheming generals to confuse the Jurchens.
Ten pigeons were released for feeding at the pass, creating the illusion that the birds were feeding peacefully without being disturbed.
Of course, all this was not exposed in the end because Yalu Buhua relaxed his vigilance. As long as Yalu Buhua sends people to the passes and hillsides to check on the spot, they will find clues. But that's okay, Gao Muqing has already done it
In preparation for the battle, the reason why she wanted to hide her whereabouts was not because she was worried that the other party would find the ambush and attack. She still thought it was best to delay the time and survive one night. It would be best to wait until tomorrow morning when the Jurchen army would set off.
Only then did he engage in battle with them. Because, with every moment of delay, the reinforcements Ma Bin moved would be one step closer. The entire plan would be closer to success.
On the northeast side of the mountain col, in the dim skylight, as the last cart slowly drove into the mountain col from the official road in the mountains, in a valley a few miles away on the south side, a team led by Lin Hu
Thousands of soldiers finally took action after dormant for a day.
In order not to alert the Jurchens, Lin Hu and the others spent the whole day nesting in a valley several miles away from the official road. After the Jurchens' troops arrived, the soldiers who climbed up the surrounding hillsides to guard them did not find any trace of them.
It was precisely in order to avoid these warning troops from the other side that Lin Hu did not arrive at the scheduled hibernation spot last night. If Gao Muqing knew what Lin Hu had done, he would have nodded in approval. From the moment he stepped out of the camp
From then on, Lin Hu began to mobilize all his efforts and devote himself to this action.
Therefore, the peace that Yalu Buhua saw was not real peace. When his Jurchen army was sleeping soundly in the camp in the mountain col, countless eyes were staring at them on the pass and hillside in front of them.
Enduring the cold spring night and waiting for the battle to come at dawn.
On their way, a group of thousands of soldiers and horses also successfully arrived at an excellent blocking location. Under Lin Hu's order, these people began to dig loose rocks on the hillside, cut down trees and grass on the hillside, and began to prepare for the attack.
Seal their retreat and move through the night.
In addition to these people, one hundred and eighty miles away in the northwest, a cavalry army of 30,000 people, led by Ma Bin and Sun Wanchun, was crossing the official road in the valley on the west side of Taihang Mountain, running through the night under the bright starlight.
A big net is being opened, covering the heads of the ignorant Jurchens. No one knows the answer whether the fish dies or the net breaks.
…
The early morning mist is quickly dissipating, and the dense white air lingering above the mountains is flowing slowly under the rising sun. The scenery is quite beautiful. Below the mountain col, the Jurchen camp is noisy, soldiers and horses are setting out, and people are shouting everywhere.
Busy scene of horses neighing.
The 10,000 cavalry forward led by Battle took the lead. They quickly formed a team and trotted out of the camp in darkness. Under the shining of the morning sun, the armor and weapons on the Jurchen cavalry reflected the light, making them look quite majestic and mighty.
The posture of the division. The 10,000 vanguard cavalry quickly accelerated and headed straight for the hillside pass outside Lixu.
In less than a stick of incense, the Jurchen cavalry vanguard had arrived at the pass. The official road leading to the pass was a long gentle slope. The official road followed the terrain and did not make much rest.
Because there is no need. Therefore, the road leading to the pass is basically a primitive hillside. Thick weeds grow on the gentle slope, and there are deep ruts in some places. However, these ruts are very small.
It is old and grass has grown in the ditch. It can be seen that this official road is actually rarely used by vehicles, horses and goods.
Battle showed his rare cautious side as a Jurchen. Yesterday, his subordinates did not fully survey the entire pass and the nearby mountains. He was still a little worried. As the general of the vanguard cavalry, he must be appropriately cautious.
.So, he ordered the soldiers and horses to stop at the bottom of the gentle slope. He reined in his horse and squinted towards the pass and the mountains on both sides. Under the shining of the spring sun, the mountain pass was quiet. The breeze blew,
The grass on the hillside grew like waves, and the dwarf trees swayed and rustled. Other than that, there was no movement.
For some reason, Battle suddenly had an ominous premonition. As an excellent hunter among the Jurchen tribe, he developed a special skill when hunting in the forests of Changbai Mountain. Even if he couldn't see the prey, he could sometimes feel the danger.
The smell. Besides, the situation on the slopes of the mountains in front of me is a little different. Compared with the most hillside, the trees and weeds seem to be too dense. How can there be such a big difference in the same terrain? Moreover, Battelle’s keen nose
I also smelled some unusual smells. It was the smell of newly turned earth, mixed with the smoke from some bonfires. Although it was very faint, it was definitely there.
"General Battle, why did you stop? General Yarubuhua asked what happened?" Several fast horses came galloping from behind, and several of Yarubuhua's messengers on the horses asked loudly.
Battle turned his head and looked around, and saw that the army at the rear was continuously pouring out of the simple camp last night. His forward army stayed here, which had caused congestion and chaos in the army at the rear.
"General Battle, if nothing unusual happens, move quickly. General Yarubuhua is even angry. The whole back is blocked." The Jurchen guard who passed the order said loudly.
Battle was helpless. He could not stop moving forward just because of his premonition, and his premonition was not 100% certain. The smell of earth was also unusual, maybe it was the unique smell of spring in this mountainous area. The smell of fireworks was also
I can't explain anything, but there were countless bonfires burning in the Jurchen army's camp last night, maybe it was the smell of the bonfires in my own camp.
"Let's go." Battle waved his hand and ordered. The cavalrymen waved their whips, and the war horses neighed and rushed up the slope. The gentle slope had little effect on the speed of the horses, and they quickly started running.
The ramp under the pass is hundreds of steps long. The ramp is about a mile wide and can accommodate hundreds of cavalry running parallel. When the thousands of cavalry in the front line rush to the middle of the gentle slope, all the cavalry in the rear also rush up the gentle slope. The entire forward army
The cavalry of ten thousand people all stepped onto the slope in an extremely dense formation.
But soon, the soldiers and horses in front ran into trouble. They suddenly discovered that the originally wide
There were many thorns, thorns and other things piled up on both sides of the hillside. From a distance, they thought they were grass and shrubs, but the horses knew what they were doing. They squeezed hard into the middle and refused to touch the thorns and thorns.
The vines and those spiky things covered both sides of the hillside in layers, forcibly turning the slope more than a mile wide into a passage of hundreds of steps.
Although a few hundred steps is already a very wide road, for a large number of soldiers and horses, it is enough to make them more crowded. What is even more incredible is that even these hundreds of steps
The width is also constantly narrowing. The area of those thorns and thorns is getting larger and larger, and the passable hillside is slowly shrinking, like the mouth of a funnel.
Battle didn't take it seriously at first. It was normal for thorns and thorns to grow on the deserted mountain official road. However, these things grew densely and clearly with clear boundaries. This was obviously a sign of man-made damage. He finally couldn't help but lean over and use the scimitar in his hand to strike.
When the thorns on the ground were cut off from the thorns, the secret was revealed. Although the thorns and vines were cut off, their stems were exposed from the ground. The thorns and vines had no roots and were completely intact.
They were all planted in the ground by humans.
Battle was stunned. He immediately realized that something was wrong. It seemed that someone had done it deliberately. It seemed that an ambush had been set up here. Just when he was about to issue a warning, he heard the sound of the horses neighing in front of him.
Hundreds of horses charging at the front started jumping like crazy, barking, biting, jumping and running around. The cavalry on the horses couldn't restrain themselves despite holding on to the reins and yelling. Dozens of horses rushed into the thorns like crazy.
In the bush, thorns and vines were instantly pricked with blood, and their bodies were covered in bloody wounds. The cavalrymen were thrown off their horses and screamed loudly when they were pricked by thorns.
"There are thorns on the ground, there are thorns on the ground. The horse's soles are all pierced." Someone shouted in panic.
Only then did Battle notice that the hooves of all the horses that were jumping wildly were dripping with blood. They seemed to be unable to touch the ground at all, so they jumped around and screamed in pain. Battle was not far from the front position, and he also
Soon I saw rows of sharp iron thorns standing in the grass on the hillside not far ahead, which were so dense that it was scary. They were hidden in the grass, and the hooves of more than a hundred horses rushing past would cover them.
The tangled grass above them was kicked away, revealing the terrifying true appearance of those several-inch-long sharp thorns. Judging from their arrangement, it turned out to be a whole strip of ground thorns across the slope, which was obviously to deal with the problem.
Set up for cavalry.
At this moment, how could Battle hesitate at all? He shouted loudly: "Turn around, withdraw, withdraw. There is an ambush, there is an ambush."
The cavalry on the slope immediately fell into chaos, turning their horses' heads and retreating. In the chaos, many horses strayed into the thorns, and the horses and men screamed loudly, adding to the confusion.
At this moment, on the hillsides on both sides and at the pass above, horns were blaring and flags were fluttering. Countless figures appeared in the field of vision. The ambushed Luoyan Army soldiers and horses finally emerged from their dormancy. They all threw away their disguises.
There were branches and long grass, and I stood on a high place and looked down at the jumbled Jurchen soldiers and horses below.
Of course, everything on the slope was arranged by Gao Muqing. The method of digging pits was time-consuming and laborious, and this primitive defensive method was only used in a few locations. On the slope below the pass, Gao Muqing used a large number of wood chips cut from the south slope.
Thorns and thorns are planted on both sides of the slope, which inadvertently makes the opponent's troop formation more dense and narrow. The Luoyan Army's methods of dealing with cavalry have also been renovated. Firearms are naturally the best method, but
In the case of insufficient firearms, some primitive means are also extremely effective in specific terrains.
The Luoyan Army's road-blocking weapon, the Iron Thorn Formation, was derived from the iron caltrops used to deal with cavalry horseshoes. Although iron caltrops is also very effective, it is not conducive to recycling. It is indeed effective to sprinkle it on the road when facing the enemy, but because it cannot
Recycle them all. The iron caltrops nailed to the horse's feet cannot be recycled. The iron caltrops scattered on the ground cannot be recovered, as they will poison others later. The inability to recycle also causes a waste of precious iron resources. In terms of effect,
, the caltrop formation can only withstand one charge, so the opponent's cavalry will naturally be unlucky in the first wave, but then the passage will be clear after the mines have been cleared, and cannot continuously resist the opponent's charge.
So, in response to this, Lin Jue proposed this kind of iron spike array as an anti-cavalry equipment. To put it simply, it was to create large iron plates covered with spikes several inches long. Laying these on the road
A kind of spiked iron forms a barrier belt. These iron plates will not tip over because of the heavy chassis. They are buried on the ground and connected with hooks. They are stable and strong and will not be displaced by being stepped on or bumped at all. The cavalry steps on the iron plates.
After that, it was the horses' hooves that were damaged. After the horses' hooves left, the iron plate would not be taken away. If the subsequent cavalry continued to charge, they would still be hurt continuously.
Of course, this kind of iron spike formation also has limitations. It must be buried in advance and can only be laid in narrow terrain such as crossings. If fighting in the wild, this kind of thing is not even as useful as the horse-rejection formation. Because the opponent has multiple options for attacking directions.
The casting of the Iron Thorn Array consumes a lot of iron resources, so it is impossible to manufacture this thing in large quantities. But on the gentle slope of Fangcheng Mountain Pass, this thing is absolutely useful. Gao Muqing brought all the iron plate thorns here, which can be used to lay three strips
The barrier strip is covered with turf and there are no traces at all.
Enemy traces appeared on the hillside, the forward army was attacked, and the formation was in chaos. Yalu Buhua in the rear was shocked. He quickly figured out the situation and cursed continuously. This group of Luoyan troops did not follow the routine and actually set up an ambush here.
Okay, this is a slap in the face. My judgment was completely wrong.
He calmed down quickly. It was actually unwise for the other party to do this. They gave up their advantage and came here to ambush, and he could annihilate them here. It would save them having to go to Funiu Mountain.
"Command the entire army to stop advancing and retreat to form formations. Command Battle not to panic. The troops and horses should withdraw and prepare to attack." Yarubuhua gave the order sternly.
